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| r•w•t™ Magazine
| Questions for Thinking Writers
"Just
think about what's in your head." How many times have your students heard directions like these? The connection between thinking and writing is so obvious, right? Unfortunately, most of us realized long ago that "good" thinking does not always result in "good" writing. What seems so obvious in theory—that writing is like thinking on paper—is not so obvious in practice. In fact, most of us have seen student writing that makes us wonder if any thinking occurred during the composing process. Why do so many students struggle to "just write what's in their head"? Is it because they cannot or will not think? I would suggest that the problem is not related to whether or not students think when they write. Of course, they do. The problem is that writing introduces important "guests" for thinking—the audience—and they require a different kind of thinking. A gracious host or hostess always prepares for guests: clean house, fresh linens, special recipes, pleasant conversation. The old cliché about "only the best will do" usually applies to our guests, even if we willingly accept less-than-perfect living conditions the rest of the time. In a similar way, "gracious" writers must prepare for the "guests" to their thinking—and only the best should do. A thinker-writer must consider the audience's needs and practice great discipline throughout the writing process. And just like the organized host/hostess, the wise writer should have a "to-do list" that guides the preparation. Suggested below are questions to help teachers prepare students for their guests. Teachers and students should use the "To-Do List" below as a model for developing questions for particular writing tasks and audiences.
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